Integrating the Laser Suite

    On most of their visits to the practice, LASIK patients begin in the general waiting area and are seen in the same examining rooms as our other patients (Figures 2 and 3). On the day of surgery, however, LASIK patients will be ushered to a small waiting area adjacent to the procedure room.

     Having a LASIK waiting area for use on the day of surgery is primarily a matter of convenience. Located next to the procedure room, it saves time. Separated from the procedure room by a windowed partition, people in the waiting area (usually the patient and a family member or two) can view live surgery.

     When patients are called into the procedure room, they can see their family members in the waiting area (Figure 4). This visual reassurance increases the level of patient comfort. Those waiting can either look directly at the surgery or get a surgeon's-eye-view by watching on a video monitor. This openness demystifies the procedure and helps allay anxieties.

     The LASIK suite is sited next to a line of examination rooms and is therefore visible to patients in the general flow. The large window to the procedure room also allows potential refractive patients to view live surgery. The layout encourages our pre- and post-LASIK patients to interact with one another and staff.

     The openness of the laser facility to the rest of the practice reduces anxiety for the patient and family and improves the overall quality of the experience for everyone. The visibility of the laser suite and quality of the patient's experience are key elements in our internal marketing effort. We would encourage any other practice that is considering introducing LASIK to make the procedure room central and visible. In our experience this has been a highly effective marketing device.